5.11 Donates $20,000 to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial FundSource: Police MagazineDate: October 23, 2017Today during the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Philadelphia, 5.11 presented the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund with a check for $20,000 from proceeds of the sale of 5.11 Defender-Flex Pants and Jeans. The Memorial Fund tells the story of American law enforcement, honors fallen officers, and works to make it safer for those who serve.

Houston police officer critically injured after traffic stop on US 59Source: Houston Chronicle by John-Henry Perera, Margaret Kadifa, Keri Blakinger, and St. John Barned-SmithDate: September 27, 2017Officer Nestor Garcia, a rookie cop with the Houston Police Department, walked around the side of the patrol car to issue commands to the suspect pulled over on the darkened highway.
But as he did, a driver in a Toyota Highlander plowed into the 24-year-old officer just after 2 a.m. at speeds of 50 to 60 mph, dragging him along the roadway and only narrowly avoiding other lawmen, according to Chief Art Acevedo.

Sgt. Juanita Eccles was on duty when Pfc. Thomas Pressley first stumbled into a police station asking for her help.

Eccles recalled, "He comes in and he just says, 'please, please, can I get some help?'"

Pressley, a Korean War veteran, was hungry and haggard, Eccles remembered. She used her own money to buy Pressley some food that day but realized that his troubles ran deeper than that when she visited Pressley's home.

"The mold was higher than your hip. And the floors you couldn't walk on because you'd fall through. The contractor went upstairs and said 'the toilet is sinking through the floor'," she said.

Pressley's house was in complete disrepair. Photos of Pressley's old home showed crumbling ceilings, dirt and grime on almost every surface and paint chipping from the walls.

And on top of that: Eccles said she learned from a nephew of Pressley's that the veteran had been a victim of financial elder abuse and his entire life savings had been stolen.

So Eccles resolved to fix the situation. Eccles partnered with D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau and local non-profit Purple Heart Homes, which works to improve the lives of veterans experiencing housing insecurity, and corporate sponsors like Home Depot and Comcast, a parent company of News4, to repair and refurbish Pressley's home.

"This is a godsend. Money can't buy this when someone has that kind of love," Pressley said.

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Run for the Badge

Thank you to all who joined us for the Run for the Badge on October 13th at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial! Your support for law enforcement and your participation and fundraising help us honor the contribution and sacrifice officers make every day. All proceeds benefit the Memorial Fund.